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As we move into fall here in Kentucky we are no longer having those scorching hot days where it feels like we might be twenty degrees warmer than the sun, but there is still a lingering warmth in the air. For the longest time fall was always my favorite time of year, but the older I get all it reminds me of is the oncoming coldness of winter.

With the changing of the weather means the changing of fashion is starting to happen. So I wanted to do one last post with my favorite dress from summer. And of course its from my favorite company. That’s right, my favorite dress I had this summer came from City Chic.

It is the Hot Summer Days Maxi Dress from City Chic. I have on the size L which is their size equivalent to a 20. I do wear a 20 or 2X at both Torrid and Lane Bryant for comparison. This dress does run a tad large compared to some of their other items, though not enough to make me want to size down.

I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. I love the bright hues and the long flowey fabric. But I really became obsessed with it after I finally had it to try on. It has such great movement to the fabric and the empire waist is so flattering. There is a slight high low to the hem and it adds an extra sway to the fabric when you walk. Everything about this dress screams bold and feminine.

I am not sure how long they will be having the sale, but as I write this, they have a sale. If you enter REDCARPET at the checkout you can get 30% off all dresses. If it is not currently going, keep an eye out, they always run sale. Check their main page for sales and codes. And I try to share their sales when I can.

With it I have paired these super comfy Mootsies Tootsies Women’s Naylor Sandals in red. I got mine about a year ago, so it was different colors available at that time, but they currently have three option. I really recommend these shoes for anyone who is like me that constantly feels like they are in between a medium width and wide. These have plenty of room in the foot bed, and all the straps are a stretchy elastic material. They are really comparable to the Skechers I keep recommending. So if you like Skechers, you will probably like the fit of these.

So tell me, have you tried this dress? What was your favorite dress of the summer? Are you also clinging on to the warm weather like me?

These two piece play sets that have made a sudden comeback along with jumpsuits, rompers, and crop tops bring back fond memories of some of my favorite outfits I had as a young girl. Even as a child they always seemed like so much fun, and that is no different now. So when I saw Charlotte Russe had this play set available I had to purchase it, and I have had zero regrets.

Unfortunately this set has long been sold out. Chalotte Russe seems to have a quick turn over on their clothes. They are a juniors and junior plus store though, so that may have something to do with it. But its well worth checking out their website. You may have to size up due to it being junior plus. I typically wear a 2X at places like Lane Bryant and Torrid, but this is a 3X.

Paired with it I have on a pair of gladiator sandals from Ashley Stewart that I purchased months ago. They also are long gone, however I found something similar on Amazon.

Time for another visit with me inside the dressing room. I previously visited Lovesick and Forever 21. This time you will be going with me to Cato Fashions.

I realize there may be some people out there who are not familiar with Catos, but they are growing and I was really happy to learn recently that they now have a website. So now I can finally share their items with all of you.

A little history of my experience with them. I grew up in a very rural area of Kentucky, a town so small that most of you probably would not be able to comprehend how small it is. This town literally to this day still only has one stop sign and a post office. Over the years its occasionally had a gas station/convenience store, but they never last long. So this meant that we had to travel to the next town of size to shop for clothing and other items (approximately a 25 mile trip one way). I have almost always been plus size, and so even in the largest towns in Kentucky shopping was limited for me. However the town we went to shop most often was not the largest. This meant that I had three choices to choose from. Up until I was about 12 the three choices were a place called Hills, JC Penny, and Cato. Hills was like a Wal-Mart but with less selection (After I was 12, Hills closed and Wal-Mart took its place). JC Penny at that time rarely offered anything but grandmother styles in plus sizes. And then there was Cato. It was the one saving grace. They sell both misses and plus sizes, but often items are offered on both sides. They usually offer trendy pieces. And best of all they are usually quite affordable compared to other plus size retailers. All of those things still hold true to this day.

So without further ado, I am very excited to share these with you guys. I hope it helps some of you on a budget find a new place to shop. As always I will remind you I typically wear 2X or 20 at both Torrid and Lane Bryant. And I wear a 40DDD bra. I can tell you everything I tried on at Cato was either a 2X or 20W. They do run true to size and always have.

This is where my luck run out a bit with what I tried on. The top did fit and it was comfortable, but I did not like the way that it looked on my body shape. I think it would look better on someone who is either and apple shape or inverted triangle. And this pair of shorts were a little more snug than the others. Just not a comfortable fit for me.

There were elements of this I loved. The top had some really cool details that you can see way better if you visit the link, but I just didn’t think it looked right on my body. And the shorts not a good fit, but were really cute. Being the shape I am its hard to find denim shorts that don’t leave a huge gap at the waist in the back. That not cute, but that big booty girl problems. What are you going to do?

This has been another look in the dressing room with me. Cato Fashions are located in 32 states. If you want to go try some on for yourself you can check their Store Locator to find the closest store to you.

I want to see what you have tried on at Cato Fashions and other stores I visit, just tag your pictures on social media with the hashtag #ITDRwithMyPlusSizeLife . Let me know in the comments where you want me to go next, and if I can I will.

I recently signed up and started selling on a phone app called Poshmark. I will be talking a little more in depth about it and a few other places to sell/shop other than what you might think of as a traditional place to buy in an upcoming post, but for now lets stick to the outfit.

Ever since I listed this dress for sale, I had so many request for pictures of the actual dress on. I usually don’t like to try clothing on and take pictures that I am selling new with tags, especially like in this case where it is a size too small, as there always is a potential for damage to the item. But because of how I came in possession of this particular dress, I knew I could put this one on without harming the fabric. So I decided that I might as well go ahead and put on my makeup and do the most simple retro style hairdo I could manage, and have some fun taking pictures for the blog while I was at it.

The Dress: The “Dottie” dress from Lindy Bop. I am sorry to say this dress is no longer available, but you can purchase a dress I think is very similar in style called the ‘Amie’ Navy Polka Dot Tea Dress. When you visit Lindy Bop’s site, you are able to choose between their US site or their UK site. You can order from either, and while they have essentially the same items, they do occasionally have slightly different stock of sizes available. I personally prefer their UK site as I find the sizing less confusing there. However there are trade offs for both sites. If you purchase from the UK site, the sizing is easier to understand and the pricing is cheaper, however purchasing on the US site we get free shipping and there is less time to wait to get your items.

The Leggings: Mine were purchased at ModCloth a couple of years ago, so again unfortunately I can’t send you directly to that pair. But there is a similar pair available on Full Beauty’s website. You also could achieve the same look with a lace patterned pantyhose.

The Shoes: The shoes were a pair of Cloudwalker Booties I picked up in an Facebook trading group(which will also be in that upcoming article). I don’t think they are available anymore, but they are pretty basic booties. However they are wide width and very comfortable soles. If you aren’t familiar with Cloudwalker, you can get them from The Avenue.

I know these items aren’t available anymore, but I hope everyone still enjoys this in the way that it was intended. One part fashion inspiration, and one part recommendations of places to shop. And always a reminder to keep fashion and beauty fun. If you aren’t having fun with what you put on, then why are you wearing it?

As always I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you want to see more style inspiration pieces? Do you rock vintage looks? Where is your favorite places to get vintage inspired pieces?